Automatic feeder for cleaners or scrapers for boiler tubes or flues.



No. 645,894. Patented Mar. 2o, |900.

c. s. DEAN.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR CLEANERS 0R SACBAPEBS FOR BOILER TUBES 0R F'LUES.

(Application led May 29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Z [aA 2 mmf 5o having steam or UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo CYRUS S.DEAN, OF FORT ERIE, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES O. RANO, OFBUFFALO, NE\V YORK.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR CLEANERS 0R SCRAPERS FOR BOILER TUBES OR FLUES.

SPECIFICATION formingl part of LettersPatent N o. 645,894, dated March20, 1900, Application had Muy 29,1899. serial No'. 718,688. (No met) .To@ZZ whom it may concern: u

Be it known that I, OYRUS S. DEAN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Fort Erie, county of Welland, Province of Ontario,Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAug tomatic Feeders .for `Cleaners or Scrapers for Boiler Tubes orFlues, of which the following is a specification. My invention relatesto automatic feeders for propelling cleaners or scrapers'through boilertubes or flues.

The 'object' ofv they present invention is the.

provision of an improved feeder for use in 'connection with scrapers o rcleanersV having propelling devices ofL novel r construction adapted foroperation by steam or air pressure in such manner that'they will beAheld in strongactive contact with ,the Itube or ue by the steam orairpressure while they are being operated thereby, thus insuring theautomatic feeding of the device through the tube orrflue while thescrapers'or cleaners are operating thereon and obviating the necessityof feed-I ing by hand, as usually done heretofore. l

Having the foregoing object in view, the invention comprehends improvedpropelling devices adapted for` operation by' av suitable steam or airmotor and mounted and arranged in such manner that the air or steampressure acts on them and holds them in contact with the tube or flue aslong as it is supplied to the y driving-motor.

The invention consists, further, in certain improved features andnovelfcombinations of parts,fully described hereinafter and particularlyrecited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of theinvention shown in a tube or flue, certain parts being in dotted linesand in full lines; Fig. 2, a cross-section with the propelling orfeeding devices in full lines, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.v 3, aview similar to Fig. 2, taken on line 3 3; and Fig. 4, a sectional endview.

The invention is shown in a section of'boiler tube or iiue 1. The bodyor casing of the device is composed of two cylindrical sections 2 and 3,fitted together by a lap-joint at and air chambers 5, which match of thetub'eorliue.

each other. Extending through the section 3 are two steam or air portsl6, arranged in diametrical relation and opening into the chambers 5,and the section 3 is also provided with similar ports 7, extendingtherethrough.

' At the outer end of section 2is a cylindrical casing 8 for anysuitable self-contained steam or air motor employed to operate thepropelling or feeding devices, as well as the cleanersor Scrapers, (notshown,) while at the outer end ofsection v3 is a head orca 9 havin apipe-coupling to which the steam or air pipe can be connected. Bolts 10,running through n the sections 2 and 3V and the casing 8 and head 9,hold them firmly together.

' Each section of the body lcarriestwo propellers or feedersvarran gedparallel, with their axes coinciding with chords or lines of less lengththan thediameter of the body or casing and adapted to operate on theopposite sides One pair of propellers or feeders are, however, arrangedatright angles to the otherpair, and consequently active contact is hadwith four flue at the same time.. The propellers or feeders have acylindrical body 11, snugly fitting but easily'slidable in parts ofthetube or a chamber 12, which opens through the exterior of the body atone end and is blind'at its inner end, where it is continued in a smallpressure-chamber 13, which is in communication with the port 6 or 7. Thecylinder 11' has a` reduced stem, provided with a piston 14, adapted formovement inthe pressure-chamber, a pin 15 being provided to prevent thefeeder from dropping out when the device is being carried about fromplace to place. The inner end of the cylindrical body of the feeder isprovided with a Worm-wheel 16, and the outer end, which is adapted tooperate on the tubeor iiue, is rounded and ridged or toothed, as shownat 17.

The numeral 18 designates a driving-shaft adapted for operation by themotor or engine employed, which is journaled in the casing 8 and thesections of the body and hasits inner end suitably stepped in thesection 3. This shaft has two similar worms 19 and 20, the former ofwhich meshes with the worm-Wheels of the feeders in section 2 and thelatter with IOO those contained in section o. The cleaners or Scrapers(not shown) are carried on the outer end of shaft 18, so as to be inadvance of the propelling mechanism.

The operation is as follows: The steam or air entering the head 9 passesthrough the ports and chambers and finally reaches the engine or motor,which puts the drivin g-shaft in rotation, thereby revolving all thepropellers or feeders. The steam or air while passing through the portsacts on the pistons of all of the feeders with sufficient pressure toforce them outwardly and hold them in strong contact with the interiorof the tube or fine while they are rotating. As the roughened ends ofthe feeders touch the tube at only one point of their periphery, theirrotation brings different portions of their peripheries successively incontact with the tube or fine surface, resulting in the automaticpropulsion of the device through the tube or flue. When the steam or airsupply is cut off, the feeders slide easily inward, so that there is nointerference when placing the device in position or sliding it fromplace to place in the tube or flue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

I. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body or casing adapted for movement through the tubeor flue, of a feeder or propeller carried by the casing and movablerelatively thereof toward and away from the interior surface of thefine, means for projecting said feeder out from the body byHuid-pressurel and maintaining it in contact with the fine-surfacethereby and means for rotating the propeller.

2. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or flues, thecombination with a body or casing having a chamber and adapted formovement through the tube or flue, of a feeder or propeller slidable inthe chamber, means for rotating the propeller, and means for applyingduid-pressure to said feeder or propeller to project it for engagementwith the tube.

3. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body or casing having a Huid-pressure chamber, of aslidable feeder or propeller having a piston movable in said chamber,and means for rotating the feeder.

4. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body or casing having a cylinder-opening through itsside and continued in a pressure-chamber at its inner end, of a feederor propeller slidable in the main chamber and having a reduced stemprovided with a piston slidable in the pressure-chamber, means forrotating the feeder, and a limit stop or pin interposed between thepiston and the body of the feeder.

5. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or iti ues, thecombination with a body, of

chord or a rotatable feeder or propeller carried thereby which isslidably mounted so as to be adapted for projection or retraction, andmeans for rotating said feeder and for projecting it.

6. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or flues, thecombination with a body, of a rotatable feeder or propeller carriedthereby which is slidably mounted so as to be adapted for projection orretraction, and means whereby said feeder is simultaneously rotated andprojected by Huid-pressure.

7. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or flues, thecombination with a body or casing, of a rotatable feeder or propellerhaving a worm-wheel, and a power-driven shaft having a worm meshing withsaid wormwheel.

8. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body or casing, of a rotatable feeder or propellerhaving a worm-wheel and carried thereby which is slidably mounted forprojection or retraction, a power-driven shaft having a worm meshingwith said wormwheel, and means for projecting said feeder or propeller.

9. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or nues, thecombination with a body or casing, of a rotatable feeder or propellerpositioned with its axis coinciding with a line of less length than thediameter of thebody or casing, whereby only one por tion of thepropelling-surface of the feeder is maintained in contact with the tubeor flue.

lO. In au automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body or casing, of a rotatable feeder or propellerhaving its outer end rounded and constituting the propelling or feedingportion thereof, said feeder being positioned with its axis coincidingwith a chord or line of less length than the diameter of the body orcasing, whereby only one portion of the rounded end of said feedercontacts with the tube or flue.

1l. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body, of rotatable feeders or propellers arranged inpairs or sets and carried thereby, with the members of one pair disposedat an angle to those of another pair, and means for operating all thefeeders or propellers.

l2. In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or hues, thecombination with a body, of rotatable feeders or propellers arranged insets or pairs with their ends projecting on opposite sides of the body,and the members of one set or pair being disposed at an angle to thoseof the other pair, and means for operating all the feeders orpropellers.

13, In an automatic feeder for cleaners for tubes or fines, thecombination with a body, of rotatable feeders or propellers arranged insets or pairs and each having a worm-wheel, and a power-driven shafthaving a worm for each set or pair which meshes with their worm-wheels.

14. In an automatic feeder for cleaners foi' IOO IIO

body diierent sections of the body and operated by 1o the suppliedHuid-pressure.

In testimony whereof I aiX. my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS S. DEAN.

Witnesses:

A. M. ARMSTRONG, CHAs. CANNON.

